n. Hinduism
A usually secluded residence of a religious community and its guru.
[Sanskrit āśramaḥ : ā-, to + śramaḥ, toil, penance, austerity (from śramati, he toils, practices austerity).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.